[Richard]

I have had not encountered that issue with the first two boxes I retuned. However I installed a new box after lunch today in a different part of the house and this lacks the channels others can receive access. I suspect that it could be a distribution amp problem or perhaps even a wiring issue, but not an aerial problem. The aerial is about 26 years old multi band or wide band aerials have been about for a long time, so I would be surprised if an unsuitable device could remain on the market for very long.

I think I now have my afternoon planned out and will let you know what I find.

[Richard]

The best wood burners can be very effective heaters, though you need to select the wood with care to avoid issues. Older or poorly designed burners do push out a lot of contamination and if the material consumed is not ideal will result in soot build up in the chimney. If you have ever seen a chimney fire when the soot catches fire, you will know you do not want one at home. Paper and cardboard can be compressed to stop them burning too rapidly though plastics are almost always a no go as combustion may be inhibited and they can also produce poisonous fumes.

In view of the age of the property your chimney might need to be lined as the old mortar is liable to allow fumes to enter the house.

When we moved in we installed a synthetic coal gas fire, we tested it then used it all of once as I recall. It sucked cold air in through the mandatory vent and sent warm air up the chimney. We now have a chimney balloon, it works far better cutting down on wind noise and the loss of room heat.

[Richard]

There can be more than one cap, some have seals and at least one ‘might’ have a pressure relief valve to vent any over pressure. I assume that the system has an overflow catch tank the status of that can be overlooked as sometimes it looks like a washer bottle and is sometimes rather tucked away. The small pipe can fail and allow either pressure leaks or water droplets to escape.

However, if the system has a history of leaking that could be a more obscure issue and I have no desire to float off on a raft of speculation.

[Richard]

Has anyone ever read how Tzar Putin The Thug has referred to anyone, no make that everyone else except his tiny circle of friends?

The kindest thing that could ever be said is that he is a megalomaniac with imperial dreams.

However even a twerp like him has no control over the weather.

[Richard]

The window cleaner knew all about it today. He took off his windcheater and the clouds came over so the temperature dropped. He put the covers back on went up the latter, the clouds parted and he overheated. He could not win. At 17:30 it is a shade under 9 degrees.

[Richard]

I wonder if one of the rad caps is just very slightly weeping when things get hot? The tiny traces of steam might not be noticed unless there is a very good nose in the area at the time. However, Bob, has a few very much more likely suggestions to try first. If you do need to check the caps only do it when the engine is cold…

[Richard]

Steve, your house must either be super insulated or have quite small rooms with doors that are mainly shut and a number of active inhabitants, though I am aware of your wife’s unfortunate issues. Some health issue do have a bigger impact on temperature regulation than others; that could also be a factor as to why those temperatures would be a clear no-no for one person here!

[Richard]

If it is a supply wiring problem then that would cause difficulty accessing the router though the panel lights would also not appear or might flicker. If so as Ed said that is a really dangerous situation with a fire risk and the possibility of fume poisoning if the conditions were right, e.g. so money saving blighter using cheap Chinese bit made with the wrong – though not right for living things! Is anything else also run from the same power point, adapter or extension cable? Usually there would be a pong to show up overheating but that cannot be relied on…

However, was the phone service also affected as the issue could be something easier to diagnose if both were in some way degraded.

[Richard]

They are very stylish but the gold is very soft so will wear out too quickly unless faced with a harder metal. Also gold is heavy so walking would be a chore.

After a cold night here the day was almost warm and was very bright so not a bad day all round. I even did a microscopic bit of garden and plant work.

[Richard]

Dave, thank you, it was not there, perhaps pruned on a previous streamlining attack but it was easy enough to pin back in place once more. I am still not sure what I would use it for but at least it is an easy option once more.

[Richard]

Is one drive supposed to appear somewhere under file explorer? I realise that I have had a one drive set up/account or whatever for a while though never used it for anything. I was a member of a group that did very little with it and then MS closed the group thing anyway. I am not sure if I will ever find it very useful, files are rarely created these days though they are backed up at various times each day anyway.

[Richard]

Well I trust that your fan kept running OK, it was another chilly one last night, warmer now, but it went down to -3 at one or two points and we had another heavy frost this morning.

[Richard]

I think you have had good advice, but do please take on board several things. you will be entering a new line of business as such you will need the right professional support. Remember that most professions have specialists, not all estate agents will do rental management equally well. Not all accountants will deal with small specialist businesses like your new one equally well. Above all it will move from being a store house of memories to a business property. You may well find as Bob found that you no longer feel part of you is still there once others live there and pay for the privilege. Your eyes and mind must be open to those risks, chose wisely and good luck. Several have pointed out that tax come as layers and there are ways to visualise it but each layer of the cake pays only the rate for that layer, zero rate, basic rate, and soon and so forth. When you have accounted for all the money you no longer worry about any more layers. So the 40% layer might only be a few thousands sat on top of the lower rate slices – it can still be a real incentive not to work too hard to earn more money, e.g chasing interest rates that would only be in the band, being left with even 60% of damn all is still damn all and barely worth a phone call, email or letter to obtain.

[Richard]

If you do decide to travel check all medicines of any kind against the list of possible problem types; they can get you arrested.

[Richard]

The longer it went on the less social it appeared to be. A massive monetising business that tried to make as much as it could, while it could from users while offering the minimum in return. I am unimpressed by the suggestions that Governments were interested in anything other than the (overly small) amount of tax they could make from their like. Was it like a ‘big brother machine‘, in my book yes and it harvested more crap than a CSI vacuum cleaner. If it dies as it is being suggested, well again in my book it was already primed to do so, but I don’t care. Whatever else can be said in my book it was a mass people manipulator, nothing more nothing less and if fewer sheep get manipulated, let alone slaughtered perhaps that is good.

[Richard]

Alex, as a first point I suggest that your question leads me to think that you are in urgent need to sound advice like a good accountant, maybe before yoru do anything but certainly if you go down the route of renting the property.

Second point is that unless you have special tax shelters like ISAs, etc. then income is income and liable for tax.

Thirdly, there are risks such as rent defaulters and what are known as voids when no one rents but the ongoing expenses must still be paid.

You will be responsible for maintenance of all aspects of the property so get ready for urgent phone calls at any time. Landlords are shortly to be responsible for the environmental performance of their rental properties if you cannot get the right energy performance for the place then you might have to shell out to ‘bring it up to spec’. I worked out that my parent’s house was costing about £20,000 a year when all the maintenance, tax, energy costs and other sundries were added up. My brother was, like you reluctant to sell, but thank goodness he agreed and a few days, actually three weeks before father died it sold. It made IHT and all the rest of the process so much easier. As I sorted out that little rats next of costs and responsibilities few I was happier. I guess you would rent it out unfurnished as it is doubtful that the furnishings would be suitable, once they are removed an awful lot of memories will go with them. Memories are for the minds of people who carry them about, they are not carried by bricks, mortar and chattels.

There are a few ‘real’ accountants who lurk here, I am sure that they might want to fill in a few of the blanks and correct anything that I have miss said.

[Richard]

Late correction, my earlier weight for the T3100 should have read 7.5Kg not the nonsense I typed in error.

[Richard]

I used to travel with a Toshiba T3100 from the Middle East to the USA back in the 1980s It weighed t.5 Kg and the Graphics: 640×400; 640×200; Textmode: 80×25. Back then, I also took along a printer to print out agreements when they were concluded, now, anything less than a full 23inch screen feels like to much hard work – but I no longer travel.

I did take a 6.5lbs Dell on holiday back in 2009 mainly to store holiday pictures from the trip. That was our last holiday. I used a back pack to carry that beast and found that it eased my back problems by forcing me to stand up with better posture. A computing device is just a tool, like any tool it must match the job and the users needs and situation. Eyesight and mobility are key considerations along with the role the user requires to fulfil.

[Richard]

The winds are bitter but at least this time the snow has all but left, not quite the same in Devon from the news reports. Thing are a bit rough down there. I was shocked how black the crust on the remaining bit of snow had become over night before I swept it off to take my wife to the quack.

[Richard]

Tippon, I am glad it all went well. Last night things were warming up nicely and at one point it was positive so I though that today would see and end to all the mess and botheration. However, when I got up it was still in negative territory though it does now appear to be warming up a whole 0.2 degrees and still there is snow ande ice to move a little later.

[Author]

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